PROPOSAL SUMMARY What If Somali Bantu Community Association of Onondaga County 302 Burt Street Syracuse, NY 13202

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1 PROPOSAL SUMMARY What If Somali Bantu Community Association of Onondaga County 302 Burt Street Syracuse, NY Program Officer: Sheena Solomon Request Date: 7/29/2013 Request Amount: $5,000 Recommended $4,000 Amount: Project Title GED Preparation Project Description Providing computerized GED preparation courses for high school dropouts and adults. Date of Review: August 19, 2013 Recommendations: I recommend approval of this request in the amount of $4,000. Mission and history of organization: The Somali Bantu Community Association (SBCA) was established in 2004 for the sole purpose of helping its community members. The Somali Bantu groups are people who were marginalized in Somalia by the government and treated as foreigners in their own country. In Somalia they were subsistence farmers, unschooled, who lived off the land and were never exposed to city life. When they were resettled in Syracuse, it was difficult for them to adapt to life in 21st century America. In response to this challenge, some of the Somali Bantu refugees came together and formed the Somali Bantu Community Association (SBCA). SBCA has a mission to aid in the resettlement of refugee and immigrant groups by providing advocacy and training that empowers refugee families and creating opportunities to promote self-sufficiency. The group, realizing that the best way to create an opportunity for themselves and their children was through education, started a program to help with homework in a house owned by community member Sharif Aden. The program soon outgrew the house, and in 2009 the Syracuse City School District gave the SBCA space in the Dr. King elementary school for its Saturday Homework Help. In addition, the Syracuse Housing Authority (SHA) offered the SBCA shared office space at the Central Village Youth Center, a building on the near South Side owned and maintained by SHA. At this location and in partnership with other local organizations and volunteer professionals, the Association started providing case management, interpretation and translation services, job placement, adult ESL classes, after school programs, youth development training and workshops. The Association also opened its hands to the other refugee ethnic communities, more and more people kept coming. The SHA soon realized the value of the Association s work in the community and its need for a bigger space to carry out its day to day

2 operations and in February 2012 SHA agreed to rent to the Association, for a nominal sum, a one-story building at 302 Burt street Syracuse, New York In this new, larger space, called the Somali Bantu Community Center, the Association provides services for even more people and more ethnic communities. For example, during the weekends the Center is being used by children from the near South Side of Syracuse as part of the Association s youth empowerment initiative to promote peace and diversity in the neighborhood. Proposed Project: The program that they would like to apply for is geared toward refugee youth and adults whose families came to this country about ten years ago after living in refugee camps for approximately years. These youth were initially placed in public school classes based on their age, without regard for their inability to speak English or complete lack of previous schooling. They have struggled to catch up and many of them have not been able to graduate from high school before aging out. Their below average English literacy and lack of a high school diploma make it difficult or impossible for them to pursue higher education or to obtain stable employment. Though some of the adults are slowly learning English, many of them do not read or write well enough to communicate with people outside their own ethnic groups or to adapt to the larger Syracuse community. Both groups face social isolation and alienation from their non-refugee peers, negative peer pressure, discrimination, cultural misunderstanding and difficulty adjusting to the traditional American educational system. In the school year , at least 21 English as a Second Language (ESL) students from just one Syracuse high school, Nottingham High School, aged out (reached age 21) without graduating. Instead of simply abandoning these former students to the streets, the Association aims to provide access to computerized GED preparation courses where they and other adults with at least intermediate English language skills can practice GED skills. They will be supported through the process until they are ready to take the GED test. They are anticipating that eventually more than 200 students will participate in this program. Providing computerized GED preparation courses will increase the number of youth and parents who get their GED and move on to meaningful employment or college. They are requesting $5, from the Gifford Foundation to purchase 10 computers with Microsoft operating system software, GED preparation course software and a modest library of reference books dictionaries, atlases, thesauruses and other text. These items will be made available to high school dropouts and intermediate and advanced level English speaking adults among immigrants and refugees, as well as residents of SHA-owned housing projects and other residents with the same targeted needs living on the near South Side in Syracuse New York. The Association believes that this program will give teens and adults a structured opportunity to improve their English and computer skills, as well as an opportunity to boost their confidence as they navigate through a new culture and social world. The program will guide youth in thinking about their options for the future in a country that is vastly different from that of their parents. Because the program was developed in collaboration with parents and youth in the community, there is strong support for their participation. The opening session for the program will feature the Somali Bantu

3 Community elders speaking to the youth about the importance of education in building competency and self-sufficiency. Those youth who participate will be recognized for their academic endeavors and their role as emerging community leaders. Relationship to Community: The Somali Bantu Community Association has held an after school program since The Association has conducted an oral survey and a written question and answer survey to determine the programming it should offer. The one thing that was often requested was a computer lab and GED preparation courses. Program participants want the Association to offer computer-based GED preparation courses. Initially, residents in the adjacent housing project, Central Village, were concerned that only refugee adults and youth would be allowed to attend the program. The Association has assured the Central Village residents that this program will also be open to both refugee and non-refugee residents of Central Village, Pioneer Homes and McKinley Manor, all community owned and maintained on the near South Side by Syracuse Housing Authority, as well as other residents of the near South Side with the same targeted needs. There are many local residents, both professional and nonprofessional, who support the implementation of the program because it is close to the center of Central Village and both refugees and non-refugees who live there can walk to the Center without worrying about transportation. Furthermore, SBCA has received help from schools and departments within Syracuse University in the past and has been assured of future support for this project. For example, Hendricks Chapel has been sending SU students to provide tutoring and mentoring for their after school programs, ESL classes and our Saturday program to help students with their homework. In support of this online GED course project, SU Hendricks chapel will send students who are majoring in the fields of teaching and computer science three times a week to provide hands on support to project participants. SBCA has also consulted with the Newhouse School of Public Communications to provide additional support in the areas of communication and media support, as well as with the School of Education. In addition, the Syracuse City School District ESL Department will provide support for choosing appropriate courses software. Goals of the Project: The long range goal of the project is to increase the academic achievement and employment opportunities of refugee youth who have aged out of public schools without graduating. The GED is a second chance to earn a high school diploma equivalent. As an initial result of the project they anticipate that 50 youth and adults will complete the full program, with 75% of these participants demonstrating a readiness to take the GED examination. Project Outcomes and Evaluation: The computer-based GED preparation courses can track students progress. The Association will monitor the number of students taking the GED test and the percentage who pass. The Association will interview parents and youth who participate in the program to determine how they feel the program affects their ability to earn the GED

4 coursework and to pursue higher education or obtain stable employment. The expected outcome is that a growing number of youth and adults in the Somali Bantu Community and people living in the near South Side will earn their GED and either continue their education or get better jobs. Budget: Item Cost 10 computers $3, GED preparation booklets $ Supplies $ TOTAL $ Resident Committee Recommendation: After reviewing this request the committee had a discussion about the maintenance of the computers as well as the organizations ability to work with other GED programs. One of our committee members works for the New York State Department of Education and expressed that within a year the GED programs will no longer be supported by state funding. Therefore many of the programs will no longer be accessible because people will not be able to afford the training. In addition she provided information of where they could go to also receive support for computers and equipment in the future. The committee agreed that a GED program that is available to all residents and not just refugee families was important to them. They would also like to see this organization use their resources to work with other GED programs to access the booklets needed for their program. They recommend supporting the request but not at the full amount requested. Staff Recommendation: The Somali Bantu Community Association (SBCA) is one of the most organized grassroots groups. They started out small in Central Village (Boys and Girls Club) in 2008 and out grew that space and were eventually offered a space by Syracuse Housing Authority in They have been offering ESL classes and assisting the refugee community with resumes, job searches and coping with daily life issues. They have applied to the foundation to receive assistance with enhancing the programs that they currently offer. They have realized that they need computer access to help their community thrive and achieve educational goals. The program is focused on community members ages 17 and older. They are expecting 100 participants in the program throughout the school year (not all at once). Many of the adults in refugee and low-income communities have difficulty obtaining employment because they do not have a high school education or a GED. They believe that this program will address some of the need in the Southside community. After having another discussion with this organization it sounds like they are receiving a lot of support from Syracuse Housing Authority (SHA). SHA has agreed to allow their IT professional to install and secure the computers as well as provide maintenance for the computers as well. SBCA has agreed to look further into working with GED programs to obtain the books they need and share resources. They also stated that the program is

5 open to the public and they will work with the community and SHA to help make sure that message is clear. I would agree with the review committee s recommendation of supporting this program. I recommend the amount of $4000.